A New Era
by MyerBusher
Summary: Aang, Katara and Sokka are back exploring the world, helping people and maintains peace within the nations as they go by. They face struggles, tricky problems, and let's not forget the romance! Rated T for most chapters, M for others*. Lots of Kataang, and Toph will pop up now and then along with Zuko. *Chapters will have a warning at the beginning if rated M
1. Silver

Silver

It was warm and humid in the evergreen forests of Gi Loa, an Earth Kingdom village.It was noon in mid summer, the thick trees helped keep some shade from the blazing sun. Song birds were chirping and fluttering about as the zebra deer were grazing on the cool green grass away from the dirt trail. A mother zebra deer and her baby were grazing peacefully before she shot her head straight up at the sound of a twig snapping. She heard a whining voice as she nudged the rump of her baby to move along to avoid the possible danger ahead. As they pranced off into the trees, the voice got louder as more footsteps were heard. Soon a young Southern Water Tribe man appeared wielding his sword as he groaned, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"How much walking do we have do?! A forest should not have to be long!" He moaned. His sister, only a year younger than him came from behind him, rolling her eyes as she swept her dark brown hair to the side of her face.

"Sokka, you're 19 years old. You would think by now you would stop acting like a baby." She said. Sokka shot a stern look back at his sister.

"And you, Katara, would think that with you being 18 years old you would stop being a bossy stuck up know it all." Sokka said back with pride. Katara grunted as a tall and slender Air Nomad stepped forward from the bushes holding a map with a flying lemur on his shoulder. He glared at Sokka.

"Hey! That's my girlfriend you're talking about!" He said. Katara smiled at her boyfriend and she kissed his cheek before holding his hand. Sokka moaned again.

"Don't remind me Aang." He said pretending to gag. They continued to walk on the dirt trail, trails of sweat dripping down their faces as they trudged through the heat. The smell of pine and dew filled the air and the sounds of birds, forest animals and the water in the nearby river flowing down fast wasn't enough to distract them from their aching feet.

"Let's take a break, I can't be the only one with aching feet. There is a river, a perfect spot." Katara said as Aang and Sokka nodded in agreement. They brushed past the forest bushes to see a cooling pond that was connected to the river. The willow trees that grew around the outer edge of the pond were flowing with the gentle breeze, leaving little leaves in the water. Katara removed her shoes and slipped her feet into the soothing water. She sighed in relief as Sokka did the same while rolling up his pants. Aang sat on a nearby rock, reviewing the map once more as his lemur Momo flew over into the bushes to snack on some berries. Katara blended some of the water into her water satchel as she looked at Aang, getting out of the water and walking towards him.

"We haven't seen anything suspicious yet, but we have to make absolute sure that they are not hiding out in this forest. Mayor Wun is counting on us to find the bandit group that has been harassing their village. We only have 3 more miles of forest left to scout." He said as he rolled up the map. Sokka whined again.

"3 miles?!" Sokka exclaimed. Katara raised a brow in his direction. Before she could say anything, an arrow shot straight past Sokka's face as it hit the water. They all jumped back in surprise as Sokka walked into the water to retrieve the arrow. It had a symbol of a silver lotus on the tip. Sokka's eyes widened as he turned to Katara and Aang. He looked in the trees, watching the unusual movement of the leaves.

"Ambush!" Sokka yelled as 10 men jumped from the tree tops, landing in the water as it splashed on the three. Sokka quickly drew his sword as the men took their battle stances. Two were in front of Sokka as 3 surrounded Aang. 2 men stood in front of Katara as the other 2 men stood behind her. They were a variety of sizes, some were big and muscular while others were small and lean. Some had scars from unknown causes and some had unique tattoos and piercings. Their anger and fury radiated off of them, all were so different but had the same tattoo of a silver lotus on various parts of their bodies. Katara stood her ground as she darted a quick glance to Aang who nodded in her direction. He clenched his fist as Katara began to bend a ring of water around her, her heat beating fast as the water ring took form, ready for her to do with it what she wills to. The man in front of her swung his heavy metal chains at her, attempting to wrap them around her head. Katara dodged them, bending backwards as the flew past her, an inch above her face. She formed water whips as she managed to move her arms to whip him in his chest, causing him to move back a bit. Aang was taking advantage of his environment and as 2 men charged at him, he formed a wall on each side of him, pushing it back against them as he formed 2 other walls behind each man, trapping them in an earthy enclosure. They struggled but it was to no avail. Sokka threw his slick boomerang to the left of him, swinging his sword at the men to get them to back up. The boomerang spun high above ground before making a sharp turn to hit the one man up his jaw while coming back to hit the other man straight in the temple of his head. While they were caught off guard, Sokka tripped them by swinging his leg around, knocking them down to the ground and hitting their heads hard with the edge of his sword, knocking them out cold. Aang froze the other man surrounding him while Sokka picked up his boomerang and joined Aang to go help Katara. Katara was whipping her tentacles of water, knocking them down as they sprung back up. One man shook his head and glared at her.

"The other two don't matter, we just need the girl!" He yelled in a deep, angry voice to the other men. Katara stopped shipping for a moment and stood in confusion for a moment.

"Huh?" Katara said as a big, callused brute grabbed her right wrist. His grip was tight as the veins in his hands bulged out, determined not to let go. He began to drag her before Aang stepped in and erupted a long flame from his hand, thrashing it towards the brute's face.

"Let her go!" He said in a serious tone. Even though Katara was determined to defeat this guy, she did love seeing Aang being protective. The guy backed up, still not letting go. With his other hand, the muscular man his sledgehammer, swinging at Sokka and Aang. Sokka ducked while Aang jumped over it. They charged at him, bringing in an aura of full force. He had to dodge Aang's attack and Sokka's sword, so he tried to duck under and jumped to the side before being kicked in the stomach. He grunted as he tumbled down, still keeping his grip on Katara. Katara tried to bend ice shards at him but he tucked her other hand behind her back, making her in a painful stance to even move. Aang saw this and tried to hurl slabs of rock at him, making sure to miss Katara. He tumbled under them before he mistakingly hit a tree. Katara flung back from this, still in the brute's grip. A loud snap was heard, the brute finally letting go as he pulled himself up. The other lean guy came up to him.

"Retreat! We will be back another day for that healer! The Silver Lotus never gives up." He said loud and clear. The men still conscious and free, broke the others loose and helped carry them back into the forest. The ran fast, not even leaving footprints in the dirt. Aang tried to run after them before hearing Katara scream. He darted his head back, seeing Sokka holding her under the pine tree the brute was hit on. He ran towards her, stopping and kneeling down to see tears coming from her eyes.

"Look." Sokka said bluntly. He revealed Katara's right hand, her dominant hand, the wrist black and blue and swollen like a plum. They soon realized that was the snap, it wasn't a tree branch or even a firework from the village close by.

"He broke her wrist." Sokka stated. Aang soon got furious, huffing air in and out before hearing an engine the distance. Wind was erupting from a mile from them as a giant black blimp with a Silver Lotus symbol on the side. It whirled up as it lifted from the ground and turned west, facing away from the three. It flew off, Aang knowing it would be pointless to try and catch them without a solid plan. He looked back at Katara who tried to sit up, wincing at the pain.

"I-I can't move it." She said, trying to touch her swollen hand. Aang saw her hurting, wishing that it was him instead of her with all of his heart. He hated to see her in pain, he knew it was unavoidable but still it was the worst feeling for him. Sokka stood up and inspected the same arrow from earlier.

"Can't you heal yourself?" He asked. She sat there in silence for a moment before shaking her head, using her left hand to wipe the tears from her face. Aang helped her stand up, holding her left hand before giving her a kiss on her lips. She felt comfort when Aang kissed her, like all the pain melting away just for that moment. She kissed back before separating.

"I can't. I need my dominant hand. I guess I will have to let it heal the regular way." She grabbed some bandages from her satchel, wincing as she wrapped her hand tightly, slipping in two narrow splints on each side before tying it up. It still hurt her, a throbbing pain that seemed never ending, though not as much now that it was wrapped.

"We need to head back to the village, tell them what happened. Maybe we should also head back to the Fire Nation, if the Silver Lotus is familiar at all to the White Lotus." Sokka stated. Aang nodded in agreement. Sokka tucked his boomerang away as Aang pulled out his bison whistle, blowing into it but no sound coming out of it that they could hear. Katara stood there, looking at her wrist. Aang looked back on her with worry before holding her left hand again, lightly squeezing it. Katara met his gaze and gave a small smile.

"I'm fine sweetie, it's just, they said 'get the girl' and came after me… why would they want me?" She said looking off into the trees, trying to figure out this puzzle. Aang sighed.he kissed her cheek, making her blush and smile a little.

"I don't know, but I do know that I would never let them take you." He said holding her head to his chest. Katara was at ease, at least for now. She knew that she was a very skilled Water Bender and was of great use in a fight, but she always knew Aang would never let anything bad happen to her, or wouldn't let the other person get away with it at least. So a grumble was heard as they saw Appa flying towards them in the distance. He soared gracefully, landing softly on the earthy terrain below, Momo perching on top of one of his horns. Sokka his the palm of his hand on his forehead.

"We could have used Appa this whole time?!" He exclaimed. Aang helped Katara get on top of Appa, making sure she was comfortable before shrugging at Sokka.

"Appa needs breaks too, and besides, it was a beautiful day for a walk." He said smiling. Katara giggled a little as Aang hopped up on Appa's head. Sokka rolled his eyes and climbed on top, joining Aang and his sister. Aang took hold of the reigns tied to Appa's horns, lifting them once and letting them back down again.

"Yip yip!"


	2. Bronze

The warm amber glow peaked slowly over the horizon, casting ample rays of sunlight to be spread across the world. Her eyes slowly peeled open as the light spread up to her face, long brown locks of hair cascading down her face like a waterfall. She saw Aang, sitting on top of Appa's fluffy white head, staring out into the ocean in front of them as they flew above it. Katara sat up straight after a quick stretch of her arms above her head, tucking her hair behind her ears she scooted up, making sure not to use her injured hand. She tucked her skirt under her legs as she sat down a few inches away from him, Aang still looking into the ocean.

"Good Morning sweetie." She said yawning. Aang laid down the leash tied to the bison's horns. He turned to Katara, smiling and leaning back a bit. They could both hear the snoring coming from Sokka, still sleeping on top of some pillows on the back of the bison's saddle.

"Morning. How is your hand?" He asked looking at it. She lifted her hand, still bruised and swollen. She tightened the wraps a bit more to secure it in place. She gave a small smile.

"Still broken. It should be healed in a month." She said putting her hand back down. She looked down into the choppy blue waves below her, seeing the light from the sun reflect on it as it moved forward and backward with the tide. Aang sighed and held her other hand.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful when dealing with him." He said with guilt spread across his face. She looked back at him and used her left hand to turn his head softly towards her, her face never leaving the line of his jaw.

"Aang. Things happen, and sometimes bones get broken. I am fine, I will heal and everything will be alright." She said calmly, her sapphire blue eyes not leaving his silver grey eyes. He smirked as he wrapped his arm around her waist until they were hip and hip together.

"I know. I also know that we will figure out who exactly the Silver Lotus is and how to stop them." He said sternly. Katara nodded, whoever they were, they were no good. They started to see some land in the distance, just the edge of the Fire Nation territory. Katara closed her eyes, letting the salty gentle breeze blowing through her thick brown hair. The wind moved it like muddy waves, rolling on the gentle tide. She leaned her head on his shoulder, his hand holding the side of her head as he leaned his against hers.

"How did I get so lucky to have you?" He said softly. He twisted a lock of her hair between his fingers, admiring it softness like the wool from a koala sheep. She snuggled and smiled while blushing. He loved how she smelled like jasmine with a whiff of mint undertone. She always made sure to keep up her personal hygiene, not for Aang but for herself. His fingers gripped the side of her waist, keeping his hand an inch above her hip.

"I ask myself the same question." She replied. He smiled as he gently nudged her chin to turn her face towards his. He closed the space between them as his lips pressed against hers, his hand clutching the back of her head. She turned her head, his soft lips caressing hers, every motion from his mouth sent a warm feeling inside her, flushing her cheeks a rose pink. Ever so often, their tongues met and danced a little, making Katara moan a little as she welcomed the feeling of them sinking into their kiss deeper and deeper. She trails her hand up to his neck and she holds the nape of it, Aang finding it harder and harder to stop kissing her. They were so focused on enjoying each other that they didn't notice the quiet rustling from behind them. Sokka groaned as she reluctantly sat up, his messy brown hair on the top of his head covered his face as he wiped the trail of drool that came from his mouth. He scratched his chest as he saw Aang sticking his tongue into Katara's mouth, holding her tightly and kissing each other as if they depended on each other for air. He whined as his face looked disgusted.

"Oogie!" He cried out loud. Katara separated from Aang before giving her brother a serious glare of annoyance. She sighed while rolling her eyes as Aang still clutched her waist as they faced towards him.

"Oh grow up Sokka." She shot back at him. He turned his nose up and slightly shook his head. Katara wanted to hit Sokka but with her wrist being broken and Aang not liking them fighting, she decided it wasn't the best move for the moment.

"I know you two have been dating for a few years now, but some things, like your sister making out with one of your best friends, will always be weird and gross." He said as he pulled out an apple that he saved from the village they just left from in his knapsack. He loudly bit into it as Katara swept her hair to the other side of her shoulder.

"Out of all of the brothers in the world, I have been ever so blessed to be graced with you in my life." She said sarcastically. Aang chuckled as Katara smirked with a smug look on her face. Sokka raised a brow after chewing for a bit.

"I know you're being sarcastic but… it is true." He said with his mouth still full, bits of Apple falling on to his shirt. He tied his hair back in his usual style as Aang turned back around to face the front. They soon saw the Fire Nation capital, the clay red tops of the buildings and the sounds of people walking about. Katara and Sokka smelled the delicious smoked meats from the restaurants as Aang saw the peak of the Fire Nation Palace. He started to lower Appa down buy tugging on the reigns a bit. They landed softly on a patch of empty land, Aang guiding Appa towards a meadow of soft grass. Aang grabbed his staff and helped Katara climb down as Sokka jumped off, stumbling a bit as he landed. Aang patted the furry bison.

"Here Appa, just stay here for now. Get some rest." He said to his furry friend. Appa grumbled as Momo still circled up on the bison's head. The three walked towards the front gate of the capitol. They headed towards the guards entrance booth to get access in. The guard stood straight up as he gave the three passes to enter.

"It's an honor to have you back great Avatar." He said bowing with respect. Aang bowed back as he thanked him for the passes and walked into the town. They saw as people waved the to three, them smiling as waving back. They were used to having people smile and thank them, bowing to them with respect. While Sokka basked in the glory of his heroism (humility was never a strong area for him) Aang and Katara simply accepted and tried to be normal as can be. Aang knew he was never normal due to having the overwhelming power and responsibility of being the Avatar, but Katara knew dating the Avatar had made her life adventurous as well. They soon found themselves at the front of the palace gate, guards at the front making sure the area was safe for Firelord Zuko and his wife, Mai. They had gotten married a little over a year ago, a beautiful ceremony in the spring. Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph and Suki had attended it but Suki was currently at Kyoshi Island and Toph at her Metal Bending school.

"The Avatar, do you need to see Fire Lord Zuko?" One guard asked approaching the three. He recognized them as close friends and trusted allies of Zuko but being a guard, had to always ask the purpose of their presence. Aang walked up to him and bowed with respect.

"We wish to talk to him about a threat arising that he may or may not have some information about." Aang said. The guard nodded and motioned his hands in a swift movement to the guards at the top of the gate. They stood by as the big dark oak gates line with Red coated brass lined across the top and bottom to make it look more refined, open slowly as they heard the gears turning as clanking together as the door was opening. As soon as the gate opened all the way, the guards ducked their heads allowing them passage through. After the final click of the door, Aang, Sokka and Katara walked through into the entrance. They walked into the palace gardens, groves of bonsai trees with lilies in bloom against the blue ponds surrounded with grey cobblestone. They walked in a stone path until they saw Fire Lord Zuko and his wife Mai sitting under a large willow tree, admiring the gardens. Zuko had longer hair and a more defined jaw, it made him look much more mature and sophisticated. Mai had long, sleek jet black hair tied into two buns and the rest falling down past her Fire Nation royal head piece. She started painting her lips a dark red, she thought it made her look more bold and feminine. The couple soon noticed the three walking towards them. Zuko and Mai stood up and walked over to greet them.

"Aang! Katara! Sokka! You guys it's been too long!" Zuko said as he pulled the three into a group hug. They hugged back, remembering for a moment that they were a team, a bond that couldn't be broken. A bond that defeated the 100 years war. Mai bowed as Zuko let them go and smiled. It had been 5 months since Zuko had seen them, busy with running a nation and the three traveling the world helping others. Aang nodded.

"I didn't think the messenger would send it to you that fast, I just sent it this morning!" Zuko said in surprise. The three looked at each other puzzled by his mention of an unknown message.

"What message?" Katara asked. Zuko looked at them wide eyed as he turned to Mai who just replied with a shrug. Zuko cleared his throat.

"The message? The message to bring you here to share with you and our families the big news?" He said as if trying to jog their memories. Aang knew of no message, he shook his head a little.

"Sorry, we didn't get any message about some big news." Aang said. Zuko rubbed his chin a little in thought. Sokka pulled out the arrow with the Silver Lotus symbol on it.

"We are here to ask you about this." Sokka said handing him the arrow. Zuko took it in his hands as he carefully examined it. He smoothed his thumb across the Lotus symbol before nodding off.

"Can this wait until tomorrow? Even if you came here for a different reason, we still have family and friends gathered at the palace tonight to share something with you all. Will you stay?" Zuko asked still holding the arrow. Aang smiled and nodded.

"Of course. We can always discuss this tomorrow morning." He said. Zuko smiled and held Mai at her waist. Zuko held the arrow to his side as he escorted them into his palace, guards standings the door to hold them open and to protect their leader. Their steps echoed through the regal hallway, reminding them how big the palace really was. Katara admired the bronze archways with carved in designs, created hundreds and hundreds years ago. They stopped in a well lit hallway, walls covered in paintings and dark oak doors running down the corridor. A royal attendant walked up to them and bowed in respect.

"Fire Lord, here are the room keys you requested for the Avatar and his friends." He said holding the golden keys with red satin tied around them flat out in his hand with his head ducked down. Zuko took the keys and gave him a nod that sent him off back into the hallway.

"Here are your rooms. We are having dinner with everyone at 6 this evening. We would to introduce you to some people if you don't mind." Zuko said handing them their keys. Each keys was so shiny, as if it had just been made that morning. Aang nodded and grabbed Katara's good hand to hold.

"We'd love to." Katara replied. Zuko smiled as he and Mai escorted them down into one of the sitting areas. They knew that the Silver Lotus could wait until tomorrow. It not like anything could happen until then, right?


	3. Black

It was 5:45 in the evening, the sun about four fingers above the horizon. Katara was sitting upright in her room's ebony chair in front of the round carved vanity with a glossy mirror and makeup contained within it. A gentle breeze filled the room due to Katara leaving the bedroom window open. She liked to hear the sounds of nature, the trees rustling and the birds chirping. She held a polished black hairbrush in her hand, looking at herself in the mirror as she brushed her long wavy brown locks of hair. A few blue hair heads laid on the vanity table as she had yet to twists a few hair loops. Every time she brushed her hair, she kept looking at herself. She reminded herself so much of her mother. Same hair, same eyes, same nose and lips. She almost lifted her hands to touch her face before she saw her broken right hand. It was still bruised and a bit swollen under the bandages but it seemed to be looking a little bit better. She sighed before hearing a knock at the door. She put down the brush and smoothed her blue satin dress as she turned towards the door.

"Can I come in?" Aang said from outside her room door. Katara exhaled before finger combing through her hair a little.

"Yeah." She said. He walked in in his usual Air Nomad apparel. Light yellow cloth tied around his waist with loose pants. He closed the door behind him as admired her room. It was very spacious with a little outdoor balcony with a king sized bed in the back of the room. He saw her sitting at the vanity, beautiful as ever.

"Uh, they made a mix up with the rooms. Mai's Aunt had the same room as me but I didn't want to cause a fuss so I just let her stay there." He said looking outside the window. Katara turned back to facing the vanity Murrow and placing the beads within loops of her hair.

"I can go stay with my brother, it's not a big deal." She said tying her hair in the beads. She held a small blue hair ribbon in her hand as she bunched a little hair at the back of her head and tied it into a small, neat bun. Aang walked closer towards her until his hands rested on her shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat as she placed her hand on his. She stood back and stood up to face him.

"Actually… I was thinking I could just, um, stay with you if you don't mind that is…" he said stammering his words as he blushed. Katara blushed as well but gave him a small smile.

"That's sounds… nice." She said looking into his grey eyes. He smiled, relieved to know that she thought it was okay instead of freaking out at the very suggestion. He actually looked forward to spending a night cuddling and falling asleep with Katara, it wouldn't go any farther than that though. He wasn't in any position to rush her into things she wasn't ready for. He wanted to take things slow and ease into further steps of their relationship. He pulled her in closer, wrapping his hands around her waist as he pressed his lips against hers. Soft movements of his mouth with hers, sinking in to the warm feeling arising from both of them. After a few more seconds, he stopped and leaned his forehead against hers, having to actually bend his head down a little for he was at least 7 inches taller than her now.

"I love you Katara." He said softly, looking into her deep Sapphire eyes. She loved when he said that to her because she knew he always meant it. He could have had any girl in the world, for every single girl wanted to be with the Avatar, but he wanted her and only her. He loved the way how she knew how to handle sticky situations with breath thought, he loved how she always put others before herself, he even loved that no matter what, she would always stand up for what is right even if she stood alone.

"I love you too." She said back, pulling him in to another kiss. He felt her soft copper lips collide with his. Time stops as he clutches her waist tighter, he hands wrapping around his neck. Her chest pressed against his, both wrapping themselves with one another. He felt so lucky to be with her, to have her all to himself. Even though he was so preoccupied with Avatar duties and keeping the Air Nomad culture alive, she was always his first priority in his mind. She would always be. He parted their lips as he tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear, gazing into her eyes. He let go of her waist and held her good hand, opening the door for them as they left the room. He walked with her hand in hand, walking down the long corridor and into the royal dining room full of Mai's friends and family, and Zuko's uncle Iroh, his mother and her husband along with his half-sister. Ty lee could unfortunately not make it due to her training with Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors with the new recruits. They took their seats and started to enjoy the feast.

"Attention everyone! We have an announcement to make!" Fire Lord Zuko exclaimed. Everyone at the large table turned towards them. All except for Sokka, who was still slurping up spicy Fire noodles with slices of roasted turtle duck. Katara patted her mouth with her napkin, nudging Sokka on the shoulder to pay attention. Zuko stood tall holding Mai at her waist, smiling at her before she nodded as he looked to everyone with excitement.

"We are going to have a baby. Mai is pregnant." He said with enthusiasm. The whole table roared from the guys boasting to the women squealing with delight. Katara sat in shock as she now saw one of her closest friends, Zuko, a now soon to be father with his wife. It now all seemed so real, how their lives had changed so drastically ever since the war ended. Only one could wonder what the future held for her and Aang. She looked to see Aang clapping and Sokka cheering with the other guys while bits of noodle came from his mouth. The noise was absent in her head, she was too taken back by the sudden realization of it all. The whole room became a big blur, like I was a whole canvas of fresh paint smeared by a huge wave of water rushing in. Her eyes were open but her mind was far off somewhere else. She barely felt the hand on her shoulder coming from her boyfriend. He was gently shaking her to help bring her back to the present. The sound and everyone came back as she looked into his eyes.

"Hey you okay sweetie?" Aang asked as he lightly squeezed her shoulder. She managed a small smile as she nodded as she put her napkin on the table.

"I'm fine. I think I'm going to go back to the room and take a bath." She replied. Aang pulled out her chair as she stood up. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked back to Zuko and Sokka.

"Okay. Um, Zuko wants us guys to hang out for a bit. I promise I will only be an hour or two." He said unsure if she would be okay with that.

"I will be fine. I'm just going to relax before we figure this whole Silver Lotus thing out tomorrow." She replied stretching a bit. He smiled as he gave her a quick peck on the lips. He ran of to join Zuko and Sokka, Katara already starting to head back to her room before she could even see them head out of the door. She quickly paced down the long hallway, hearing the other girls squeal and chatter with Mai about her pregnancy. She rushed faster, trying to avoid getting roped into a conversation with them. She finally got to her door, unlocking it and entering. She kicked off her shoes, undid her hair, and loosened her silk belt and threw it in the corner. She walked over the washroom, seeing the marble bathtub. She looked to the the tiled room, beige with ebony rim. The doubled sink, the toilet, and the Fire place with a water pump and a gas heater under it to heat the water for the bath. She traced her fingers against the rim of the tub, feeling the grooves in it until she reached the end. She pumped the water, pumping until the water almost reached the bin. She turned the golden gas knob and after a few clicks, the flames came up and started to heat the water. She undid her silk dress, unwrapping her bindings and sliding them into a pile across the washroom. The water was steaming, perfect temperature. With a swift motion of her arms, she carefully began to bend the water into the cool marble tub. It hurt a little, with her broken hand and all, but slowly all the water soon left the heater and was in the right place. The cool air sent goosebumps across her copper skin, she didn't like to be nude in an open area for too long. She slid herself feet first into the tub, easing herself all the way in as she sighed in relief. She rubbed the warm water across her arms and face, getting rid of the goosebumps. She laid back and closed her eyes, relaxing and feeling every muscle in her body go limp. She sunk her face further in the water until her whole head was under, her brown hair sticking to the backside of the tub. All the noise in the world cancelled out, all she could hear was her heartbeat.

"Yeah we just found out a few weeks ago. Mai didn't want to make a big deal out of it but I insisted." Zuko said as he laid back in one of his relaxing chair in his sitting area. Sokka was leaning back on the couch across from him as Aang slumped back again the footstool in between them. They were drinking tea by the fire casting a golden glow across the room. Zuko sipped his tea, unable to keep himself from smiling.

"It's weird seeing you smile so much. You being Mr. Serious all the time." Sokka joked. Aang couldn't help but snicker as Zuko casually rolled his eyes.

"Even your bad humor can't put me down buddy, I'm going to be a father." He said swirling the tea in his cup. Sokka sighed as he looked up to the ceiling.

"Life is moving by so fast. It's hard to catch up with it sometimes." Sokka said not looking at the other too. Aang nodded to himself.

"Imagine how I felt when I woke up from the iceberg." Aang said jokingly. Zuko and Sokka chuckled, but it did have some truth in it. Aang was gone for 100 years, even though he still is a 16 year old boy.

"I'm actually thinking of proposing to Suki the next time I see her. I have a betrothal necklace ready to go and everything." He said pulling out a beige woven necklace with a jade pendant with two pearls accompanying it on each side. It was simple yet beautiful, like Suki was to Sokka.

"That's amazing. You two are great together, I say just go ahead." Aang said waving his hands a bit as he exclaimed his excitement. Sokka held the necklace close to his heart.

"I agree. You should do it Sokka." Zuko said, taking another sip. Sokka tucked the necklace away before leaning forward and looking at Aang.

"So. I will be proposing to Suki, Zuko is becoming a dad. What about you Aang?" Sokka asked, prying for more info on one of his best Friend's. Aang raised a brow.

"What about me?" Aang asked back. Zuko put his tea cup down and put his hand together, a smirk creeping up on his face.

"What's going on with you and Katara? I heard you two were sharing a room due to a rooming mix up." Zuko said with a suave tone in his voice. Sokka looked at him with waiting eyes.

"Um yeah. We are sharing a room. It's fine though, it's just one night though. No big deal." He said rubbing the back of his neck. Sokka raised one brow before folding his arms.

"I better not hear you rocking the bed with my sister Aang. I'm your friend and everything, but that is still my baby sister." He said in a more serious tone. Aang blushed before awkwardly coughing while Zuko looked at Sokka and Aang wide eyed.

"No, no were not um, doing that stuff yet Sokka." Aang said trying to make t less akward than it already was.

"Yet?!" Sokka cried out. Aang tenses up more as he tried to figure out the magic words to somehow make this conversation go by better.

"Sokka, Katara is 18 years old. She can make her own decisions. I know you will always be her brother but she and Aang have the right to do whatever they want." Zuko chimed in. Sokka sighed as he leaned back again.

"You're right. But being her brother, I still don't like it." Sokka replied turning his nose up a bit. Aang turned as red as a tomato.

"Look it's not like I don't want to, it's just, I want it to be the right time. That's all." He revealed. The monks used to teach all the Air Nomads how to be pure and balanced in life. One lesson was to not give in to sexual desire and stay pure. With all of them being gone now, Aang kind of had no choice if he wanted his nation to live on. Even though he was ashamed of it, Aang has had a couple dreams of Katara wearing little clothing or sometimes none at all. He wanted Katara so badly, to hold her and see her undressed and kiss her all over and make her feel good. He could never admit this though, he was just too embarrassed and ashamed to admit it. He put his tea cup down and stood up, brushing his loose pants with his hands.

"I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. I will see you two in the morning to discuss the thing. Good night." Aang said. Zuko nodded along with Sokka.

"Good night." Sokka replied.

"Sleep well." Zuko said back to accompany Sokka's words. Aang gave a small nod before heading out the room.

Katara laid out on the bed, her hair still damp as she laid in a thin white silk robe. She stared at the ceiling, her fingers rubbing the collar of her robe. She exhaled, about to close her eyes as she heard the door knob turning. She looked in the corner of her vision and saw the door open. Aang walked in, closing the door behind him. Aang walked over to the bed, sitting down at the foot of the bed. He gently placed one of his hands on Katara's ankle. Her skin was still a little moist from the bath she had a little bit earlier.

"I missed my cuddle buddy." She said softly looking at him. He smirked as he kicked off his shoes and removed his top, Climbing into bed next to Katara, pulling the sheets over them as he guided Katara's head to lay on his bare chest. His arm wrapped wrapped around her, keeping them closer together. He could hear his fast heartbeat, she looked up to him.

"You okay?" She asked tapping her index finger lightly on the tip of his nose. He met his eyes with hers, giving a nervous smile.

"Yeah. I just want to figure this whole Silver Lotus thing out." He said. It wasn't a lie, he was concerned about it but it wasn't that making his heart beat fast. He couldn't help look down a little further, her loose V neck silk rode made her expose some cleavage. His eyes widened, seeing a bit of her copper orbs. He gulped as he looked back up before she could notice.

"Me too. But I know what could distract us for a bit." She said with a smirk. Aang's face flushed red, thinking she meant something else for a moment.

"We haven't made out in a while. With Sokka around 24/7, it's kinda hard to." She said smiling. Aang sighed a little, she only meant kissing. He cupped her head as he placed his lips on hers. Their mouths moving in sync with each other as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, making Katara blush a little. His thumb rubbed her cheek softly as she caressed the back of his neck with her good hand. He opened his eyes for a moment, seeing her closed eyes so close to his. His eyes moved downward to see her barely converted chest pressing against. He face suddenly got all red again as he started to feel a little heat rising in him. He started to get this tingling feeling in his groin, making him kiss her more deeply, his hand clutching her waist. He pressed their bodies closer to the point there was no space between them. He loved kissing Katara, it was when he was at his happiest. Even being near her could lift his spirits. Soon he heard her murmur a bit. He didn't really notice until she nudged him away a little.

"Stop…poking me…" she said between kisses. He couldn't hear her as she slipped her hand under, thinking a scroll or a stick somehow made its way between them. As she found the thing poking her stomach, she grasped it, trying to toss it aside. Aang got wide eyed and separated from her. She got wide eyed as well as she looked down, finding out that she was holding Aang's "excitement" in her hand. They looked down and then back up at each other. She let go, backing up a bit as she sat on her legs. Aang's heart raced a thousand miles per minute, he sat crossing his legs, grabbing an ear by pillow and covering his area. He blushed furiously as Katara stared at him in silence, eyes wide and full of surprise. He covered his face with his hands and hung his head down in shame.

"Katara, I-I'm so sorry. I d-don't know what happened." He said trying to get his words together. Her shock went down as she scooted closer to him.

"It's okay." She said calmly. Aang was still hanging his head down in shame. She sighed.

"Aang. Look at me." She said sternly. He didn't hesitate to do as she said. He looked into her eyes, him waiting for something to somehow make all this go away.

"It's okay." She repeated in her calm voice. He still had shame in his eyes, she held his hand, his whole body tense and shaking ever so slightly.

"I didn't know you felt this way about me." She said blushing, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. He blushed too, his eyes sparkling as his face flushed with heat.

"I-I have for awhile. I'm willing to wait so don't worry, this was an accident I swear." He said pleading for her to forgive him. She gave a small smile as she looked at her broken hand.

"I don't want you to make a decision that you will regret. It's a big step." She said. Of course she has had no experience herself but all of the tribeswoman and her grandmother have taught her that being intimate with another person is sacred and should be with the one you truly love.

"I never regret anything when I do it with you Katara. I know I'm young, but I do know I love you and I will always love you. You are the only one for me." He said pulling her in for a hug. She hugged back, feeling safe in his arms.

"You're the only one for me too Aang. I don't care about your age, technically, you are way older than me!" She said laughing. Aang separated before playfully rolling his eyes as he kissed her forehead. She looked at her healing hand once more.

"Can we wait until my hand gets better, I want to be at my best for when we… finally…" she said trailing off, blushing as she stumbled over her words. Aang loved it when he made her nervous, it made him feel less alone for when he got nervous around her. He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Of course, I will wait for as long as you need me to." Aang replied. Still holding her in his arms. She smirked to herself.

"We can still cuddle though." She said. Aang smiled as he swung them both back under the covers, getting all cozier up next to each other. She was the little spoon as Aang was the big one, her soft brown hair gave extra comfort to Aang for he always loved the sweet smell of her brown locks. With one swift hand motion, Aang burned out all of the candles in the room leaving them in total darkness.

"Goodnight sweetie." Katara said closing her eyes, drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Aang kissed the back of her head before pulling her even closer towards him.

"Goodnight sweetie." He said back, smiling to himself, thinking and being grateful for all that he was thankful for. The moon was full, casting a glow across the room and above the cuddling pair. They were both in a deep sleep, the wind casting a breeze towards the window curtains as their breathing synced with one another. A black hand grasped the window ledge as it lifted it two black feet to crouch over the ledge, nails sharp as knives. It would seem as if the figure's skin was covered in a charcoal powder, it's face hidden behind a silver mask it's grey swirl designs, hollowed out almond eyes and on the forehead laid a Silver Lotus symbol. The figure cocked its head looking at the two, inquisitive and curious about the pair. It's whole body sleek and slender, a feminine form with only the silver mask standing out.

"The Healer." It said in a very soft, raspy voice. The figure then stood straight up and jumped from the ledge, back outside and out of sight. The wind blew once more, nothing was out of place. It was as if it was never there.


End file.
